Disclosed are an imaging device and a display device which both have a simple structure without any need of an image conversion. The imaging device includes a lens component group including multiple lens component systems, each of which focuses incident light from the object, thereby creating a non-inverted image of the object, the lens component systems being arranged in an array form and on the same level, and an image capturing mechanism for picking up the created image. In addition, each of the lens component systems includes an afocal optical system and an image-forming system. The afocal optical system includes at least one optical element for inverting an externally incident light ray relative to its optical axis and outputting the light ray. The optical element has uniform refractive index. The image-forming system includes at least one optical element having uniform refractive index throughout its interior.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An imaging device for picking up an image of at least one object, comprising: a lens component group including a plurality of lens component systems, each of which focuses incident light from the object, thereby creating a non-inverted image of the object, the lens component systems being arranged in an array form and in one plane perpendicular to their optical axes; and an image capturing mechanism for picking up the image created by the lens component systems; each of the lens component systems including an afocal optical system for allowing the light from the object to pass through, and an image-forming system for focusing the light from the afocal optical system; the afocal optical system including at least one optical element for inverting an externally incident light ray with respect to its optical axis and outputting the inverted light ray, the optical element having uniform refractive index throughout its interior; the image-forming system including at least one optical element having uniform refractive index throughout its interior.
2. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the afocal optical systems are integrated in an array form.
3. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the image-forming systems are integrated in an array form.
4. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the afocal optical system and the image-forming system comprises a plurality of cylindrical lenses being aligned on its optical axis, each of which has one curved surface, and the cylindrical lenses make pairs, the respective curved surfaces of each of which are inclined at 90 degrees with respect to each other.
5. The imaging device according to claim 4 , wherein the cylindrical lenses are integrated in one plane perpendicular to their optical axes.
6. An imaging device for picking up an image of at least one object, comprising: a lens component group including a plurality of lens component systems, each of which focuses incident light from the object, thereby creating a non-inverted image of the object, the lens component systems being arranged in an array form and in one plane perpendicular to their optical axes; and an image capturing mechanism for picking up the image created by the lens component systems; each of the lens component systems including an image-forming system for focusing an externally incident light ray, and an afocal optical system for inverting the light ray from the image-forming system with respect to its optical axis and outputting the inverted light ray; each of the image-forming system and the afocal optical system including at least one optical element having uniform refractive index throughout its interior.
7. The imaging device according to claim 6 , wherein the afocal optical systems are integrated in an array form.
8. The imaging device according to claim 6 , wherein the image-forming systems are integrated in an array form.
9. The imaging device according to claim 6 , wherein at least one of the afocal optical system and the image-forming system comprises a plurality of cylindrical lenses being aligned on its optical axis, each of which has one curved surface, and the cylindrical lenses make pairs; the respective curved surfaces of each of which are inclined at 90 degrees with respect to each other.
10. The imaging device according to claim 9 , wherein the cylindrical lenses arc integrated in one plane perpendicular to their optical axes.
11. An imaging device for picking up an image of at least one object, comprising: a lens component group including a plurality of lens component systems, each of which focuses incident light from the object, thereby creating a non-inverted image of the object, the lens component systems being arranged in an array form and in one plane perpendicular to their optical axes; and an image capturing mechanism for picking up the image created by the lens component systems; each of the lens component systems including an afocal optical system for allowing the light from die object to pass through, and an image-forming system for focusing the light from the afocal optical system; the afocal optical system for inverting an externally incident light ray with respect to its optical axis and outputting die inverted light ray; each of the afocal optical system and the image-forming system including at least one optical element in which refractive index is changed in its radial and optical axis directions.
12. An imaging device for picking up an image of at least one object, comprising: a lens component group including a plurality of lens component systems, each of which focuses incident light from the object, thereby creating a non-inverted image of the object, the lens component systems being arranged in an array form and in one plane perpendicular to their optical axes; and an image capturing mechanism for picking up the image created by the lens component systems; each of the lens component systems including an im-age-forming system for focusing an externally incident light ray, and an afocal optical system for inverting the light ray from the image-forming system with respect to its optical axis and outputting the inverted light ray; each of the afocal optical system and the image-forming system including at least one optical element in which refractive index is changed in its radial and optical axis directions.
13. A display device to which an inverted image of at least one object is inputted, the image having been created by focusing light from the object using a plurality of focusing mechanism being arranged in an array form and on the some level and been then captured, the display device for presenting the inputted image in three dimensions, comprising: an image display mechanism on which the inverted image appears; and a lens component group including a plurality of lens component systems, each of which receives light reflecting the inverted image, the lens component systems being arranged in an array form and in one plane perpendicular to their optical axes; each of the lens component systems comprising an afocal optical system for allowing the light to pass through, and an image-forming system for focusing rho light from the afocal optical system; the afocal optical system including at least one optical clement for inverting an externally incident light ray with respect to its optical axis and outputting the inverted light ray, the optical element having uniform refractive index throughout its interior; the image-forming system including at least one optical element having uniform refractive index throughout its interior.
14. The display device according to claim 13 , wherein at least one of the afocal optical system and the image-forming system comprises a plurality of cylindrical lenses being aligned on its optical axis, each of which has one curved surface, and the cylindrical lenses make pairs, the respective curved surfaces of each of which are inclined at 90 degrees with respect to each other.
15. The display device according to claim 14 , wherein the cylindrical lenses are integrated in one plane perpendicular to their optical axes.
16. A display device to which an inverted image of at least one object is inputted, the image having been created by focusing light from the object using a plurality of focusing mechanism being arranged in an array form and on the same level and been then captured, the display device for presenting the inputted image in three dimensions, comprising: an image display mechanism on which the inverted image appears; and a lens component group including a plurality of lens component systems, each of which receives light reflecting the inverted image, the lens component systems being arranged in an array form and in one plane perpendicular to their optical axes; each of the lens component systems comprising an image-forming system for focusing an externally incident light ray, and an afocal optical system for inverting the light ray from the image-forming system with respect to its optical axis and outputting the inverted light ray; each of the image-forming system and the afocal optical system including at least one optical element having uniform refractive index throughout its interior.
17. The display device according to claim 16 , wherein at least one of the afocal optical system and the image-forming system comprises a plurality of cylindrical lenses being aligned on its optical axis, each of which has one curved surface, and the cylindrical lenses make pairs, the respective curved surfaces of each of which are inclined at 90 degrees with respect to each other.
18. The display device according to claim 17 , wherein the cylindrical lenses are integrated in one plane perpendicular to their optical axes.
19. A display device to which an inverted image of at least one object is inputted, the image having been created by focusing light from the object using a plurality of focusing mechanism being arranged in an array form and on the same level and been then captured, the display device for presenting the inputted image in three dimensions, comprising: an image display mechanism on which the inverted image appears; and a lens component group including a plurality of ions component systems, each of which receives light reflecting the inverted image, the lens component systems being arranged in an array form and in one plane perpendicular to their optical axes; each of the lens component systems comprising an afocal optical system for allowing the light to pass through, and an image-forming system for focusing the light from the afocal optical system; the afocal optical system for inverting an externally incident light ray with respect to its optical axis, and out-putting the inverted light ray; each of the afocal optical system and the image-forming system including at least one optical element in which refractive index is changed in its radial and optical axis directions.
20. A display device to which an inverted image of at least one object is inputted, the image having been created by focusing light from the object using a plurality of focusing mechanism being arranged in an array form and on the same level and been then captured, the display device for presenting the inputted image in three dimensions, comprising: an image display mechanism on which the inverted image appears; and a lens component group including a plurality of lens component systems, each of which receives light reflecting the inverted image, the lens component systems being arranged in an array form and in one plane perpendicular to their optical axes; each of the lens component systems comprising an image-forming system for focusing an externally incident light ray, and an afocal optical system for inverting the light ray from the image-forming system with respect to its optical axis and outputting the inverted light ray; each of the afocal optical system and the image-forming system including at least one optical element in which refractive index is changed in its radial and optical axis directions.
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October 21, 2005
October 7, 2008
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